Slowly the world is starting to realise the potential of wind power. In 2012, wind power reached a record high of 44 000 megawatts of new installations making a combined total of over 280 000 megawatts in more than 80 countries around the world. It has been forecast that by 2015, there will be enough wind installations to generate power for the whole of South and Central America. 

According to the Earth Policy Institute (EPI), at the European level of consumption, the world’s operating wind turbines could satisfy the residential electricity needs of 450 million people.

China accounts for more than a quarter of the world’s total wind capacity with 75 000 megawatts of wind power. In fact, electricity generated from wind farms increased more in 2012 than electricity from coal-fired plants and also exceeded that produced by nuclear power. It is forecast that China has some more impressive figures to come with predictions that they will have 140 000 megawatts of wind power by 2015 and nearly 250 000 by 2020.

Second in the running is the U.S with 60 000 megawatts of wind power – enough to power 14 million homes. Some of the states actually have more installed wind power than most countries. For example, Texas has 12 200 megawatts of installed wind power ranking them sixth in the world.

The EPI has stated that the European Union installed more wind power last year than natural gas, coal or nuclear power with Denmark’s wind farms producing 30% of the nation’s electricity in 2012.

With 40 000 megawatts forecast to be installed before the end of the year, global capacity should easily increase passt 300 000 megawatts. The EPI also forecasts that wind installation will pick up in 2014 and continue to increase. The potential of wind power is almost limitless.